Puna attempted murder 12-20-13

Media Release

Hawaiʻi Island police have opened an attempted murder investigation stemming from an incident Thursday night (December 19) in Puna.

At 4:42 p.m. Thursday, police responded to a call of a disturbance at a home off Auliʻi Street in Keaʻau.

Upon arrival, police encountered a 58-year-old man who was brandishing two edged weapons and was also wanted by police for a separate assault incident that occurred the previous day. The suspect refused to comply with several verbal commands given by police and allegedly threw one of the weapons at one of the officers, who managed to avoid being struck.

At 5:20 p.m., Joseph Feliciano was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder, resisting arrest, second-degree assault and two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where he was treated for minor injuries and released. He is being held in the Hilo police cellblock while detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigations Section continue the investigation.

Neither officer sustained injuries during the incident. One officer, age 41, is a seven-year veteran of the department. The other, age 26, has been with the department for nearly three years.